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The Centre for Diseases Control’s diabetes atlas gets a nod of approval from a leading technology journalist

Some readers may remember we have previously highlighted the Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) and the use of InstantAtlas interactive mapping software to present information on diabetes. The CDC’s interactive atlas allows the user to view data and trends for diagnosed diabetes (new and existing cases), obesity, and leisure-time physical inactivity at national, state, and county levels.

The atlas has now been mentioned in a book by freelance technology journalist Pam Baker. The book called Data Divination: Big Data Strategies features a number of case studies showing how organisations are using big data to their advantage. Baker uses her understanding of analytics and how that applies to data. She details the strategies that business leaders need to make sense of big data for their organisations.

The premise of the book is that big data is transforming business and organisations must manage the flood of information that has been accelerated by Internet growth and the expansion of mobile communications. In 2011 the McKinsey Global Institutesaid the use of big data will become a key basis of competition and growth for individual firms saying: “From the standpoint of competitiveness and the potential capture of value, all companies need to take big data seriously.”

Baker develops this theme and explains how businesses can turn big data to their advantage. She refers to the CDC’s diabetes atlas as a good example of what can be done by putting health data in the public domain. She says: “The Atlas depicts national, state, and county data in a collection of maps, tables, graphs, and motion charts and enables the viewing of data in myriad ways simultaneously. The information is available for public use and is free. Users need only click on the features or data sources they want to use. Further, users can drill down from there using a variety of filters.”

Data Divination: Big Data Strategies is sold as a textbookas well as sold to general and professional development readers. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and other book stores including independents worldwide and as an ebook on everything from Kindle and Nook to Safari Books Online.